1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to holding means for use with optical fiber connector assembly, especially to a duplex clip for retaining a pair of individual optical fiber connectors in a side-by-side arrangement.
2. The Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,929 to Basista et al, discloses an adaptor or clip for use with a pair of two individual fiber optic connectors being retained in a side-by-side arrangement and capable of relative moving for easy alignment with other complementary connectors. Because the adaptor (10) used in '929 has lateral through-openings for easy assess and reception of the corresponding connectors therein, and the retention between such adaptor and the corresponding connector housings is only implemented by pairs of projecting tabs (29) and slots (31), there may be a risk that the connector is removed from such adaptor when a significant vibration or a sudden external pulling force acted on this assembly. In this situation, the adaptor (10) may lose its original main function even though it designedly provides the attached connectors with adjustable alignment function to the complementary connectors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,071 to Mulholland, discloses a overconnector assembly (10) comprising a bipartite body which is composed of two parts (76 & 77) which can be interconnected to each other with a double compartment interior to securely fasten a pair of corresponding connectors therein without any risk of inappropriate removal of the connectors therefrom. The overconnector assembly (10) is disadvantageously short of resilience itself so the connectors attached thereto can not have the beneficial function of adjustable alignment as disclosed in Basista. Secondly, such two separate parts (76 & 77) can not interconnected with each other themselves without any of such two connectors having been installed therein. This is because the bipartite body, which is composed of two separate parts (76 & 77), only provides the latch function in the direction perpendicular to the common base (83), but not in the direction along the lateral direction of such common base (83). Accordingly, such parts (76 & 77) can not formed as a unit before they associate with the corresponding connectors, and such separate parts (76 & 77) take more space and seem odd in storage and in assembling.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a duplex clip for use with a pair of optical fiber connectors which can not only clamp the corresponding connectors therein without a risk of improper removal of such connectors therefrom, but also provide somewhat resilience for adjustable alignment of such connectors to the complementary connectors.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the duplex clip which is composed of two halves wherein such halves can be pre-assembled to each other as a unit regardless of whether any connector has been installed therein.